Murray’s Mailbag: Rating Nevada soccer’s 2026 house video games from most to least enticing

I used to be using my bike this weekend when a woman in her 50s scooted previous and mentioned, “You’re getting lapped!” What a blow to my ego. My dad gave me his outdated highway bike a few months in the past, and I’ve been using most mornings on the southeast connector, which has a fantastic bike path. And whereas I’m typically pushing it round 15 miles per hour, which is a good tempo, this was no take a look at for the 50-year-old lady who whizzed previous me earlier than her “getting lapped” zinger. So, when you’re studying this, 50-year-old woman who shot previous me on the southeast connector Saturday morning round 7 a.m., this Monday Mailbag is for you. Thanks, as all the time, for the inquiries.

I’d rank Nevada soccer’s house video games (from most to least enticing) as follows:

1. Montana State (Sept. 12)

2. New Mexico (Nov. 6)

3. Hawaii (Nov. 21)

4. Air Force (Sept. 26)

5. Western Kentucky (Sept. 5)

6. San Jose State (Oct. 24)

There aren’t any horrible video games on the house schedule, nevertheless it lacks a marquee opponent. This marks the primary non-COVID season since 2016 that Nevada doesn’t host UNLV, Boise State or a power-conference program at Mackay Stadium. Montana State ought to journey nicely and will set the high-water attendance mark at Mackay this season given the New Mexico sport is a Friday night time and the Hawaii sport is Nov. 21, and it may very well be actually chilly in Reno by then. If Nevada goes to make a bowl sport this season, it in all probability must go 4-2 in these house video games plus choose up highway wins at two of Northern Illinois, UTEP and Middle Tennessee.

I do not assume so. Nevada’s particular groups ranked 37th in ESPN’s efficiency rankings (sixteenth amongst Group of 6 faculties) final season. It returns kicker Joe McFadden, who made the preseason All-Mountain West group, and kickoff specialist Ky Woods, who averaged 25.9 yards per return final season. Gerick Robinson will possible substitute Marcus Bellon at punt returner and has appeared good at observe in that function. The query mark is punter after Nevada misplaced Bailey Ettridge to Oregon following one season with the Wolf Pack. Nevada swapped one Australian import for an additional, including Ewan Baulch at punter. From what I’ve seen, there is a sizable distinction between the 2. So, there is a query at punter, however the remainder of the particular groups seems to be good.

The expectation is late October, so I’ll say Oct. 23 to supply a random date. Some partitions are additionally going up on GSR Arena in current weeks, too. Progress is being made.

It hinges on the Wildfire Gods because the Fieldhouse will not be accomplished till later within the fall. We have gotten fortunate on this space the final couple of years after some horrible wildfire seasons from 2015-20. We’ll hold our fingers crossed on good climate, so I’ll say the poor air high quality stays away this month and Nevada practices within the Fieldhouse earlier than having to take care of a wildfire observe.

We’re attempting to place it within the universe that there will not be any wildfire smoke in Northern Nevada this fall.

The Wolf Pack is predicted to unveil a brand new uniform throughout Saturday’s Fan Fest and teased those uniforms in a tweet over the weekend. In that tease, they have been black jerseys with blue numbers outlined in silver, which Nevada wore in 2022 in opposition to Colorado State and within the 2023 season finale in opposition to Wyoming. That uniform is under. I suppose we’ll see what Nevada has in retailer at Fan Fest (5-7 p.m. at Mackay Stadium).

UNLV’s patch take care of Acesso Biologics is valued at 5 years and $11 million.

Air Force’s patch take care of USAA is valued at 5 years and $10 million

Wyoming’s patch take care of Tallgrass is valued at 5 years and $4.5 million.

North Dakota State’s patch take care of Gate City Bank didn’t disclose a worth.

So, 4 of the Mountain West’s 10 soccer faculties have landed patch offers to this point, and Nevada ought to desperately be attempting to land such a deal to extend income. Given the going charges posted above, the Wolf Pack would in all probability be trying within the $750,000-$900,000 vary yearly for an all-sports jersey sponsor.

I do not assume it is going to influence Nevada’s rosters too drastically exterior of probably the softball and baseball groups, which we are going to focus on under.

Yes, that is the key growth from that ruling (if it sticks). Nevada softball has six gamers who have been out of eligibility who’re instantly eligible for this season. Those gamers embody Mountain West participant of the yr 1B Hannah Di Genova, RHP Hailey McLean (former All-MW), RHP Tess Bumiller (former All-MW), SS Haylee Engelbrecht (former All-MW), OF Matlyn Leetch and UTL Maya Larsen. That’s 4 potential All-MW gamers added to the roster if all of them opted to return. At this level, I’ve no perception on whether or not that may occur. Di Genova can be a sexy transfer-portal possibility if she wished to play a fifth season. This is one thing to trace within the coming weeks and months.

He will not be. Corey Camper Jr. was solely eligible final season due to the one-year exemption for junior-college gamers, as he was technically out of eligibility after enjoying two seasons in junior school and two seasons at UTEP earlier than becoming a member of Nevada. This most up-to-date courtroom ruling solely applies to 2022 recruits who performed 4 seasons in 4 years ending with the 2025-26 marketing campaign. Camper was a 2021 recruit who performed 5 seasons in 5 years ending in 2025-26. The solely Nevada males’s basketball participant who would regain a yr of eligibility below this ruling is Tayshawn Comer, who introduced immediately he has signed with a team in Macedonia, which might make him NCAA ineligible.

I’ve not checked in on any particular gamers, however there are roughly 30 Wolf Pack gamers from final yr who would qualify for that fifth season. Those most notable are Mikey Cruz Jr. (baseball), Junhyuk Kwon (baseball), Jayce Dobie (baseball), Jack Metcho (baseball), Ryan Oakes (baseball), Jackson Waller (baseball), Hannah Di Genova (softball), Hailey McLean (softball), Tess Bumiller (softball), Haylee Engelbrecht (softball), OF Matlyn Leetch (softball), Chloe Williams (basketball), Gabby Kano (golf), Anna Shultse (golf), Maddie Benson (soccer), Rylee Husted (soccer), Abigail Souza (soccer), Marlene Foerster (tennis), Wiem Boubaker (tennis), Amahée Charrier (tennis), Silvia-Maria Costache (tennis), Bella Snyder (volleyball), Nicanora Clarke (volleyball), Chris Smalley (soccer) and Nelson Ropati (soccer).

Given the varsity yr begins in a few weeks, it would be a fast turnaround for fall sports activities so as to add any of those gamers. Maybe some spring sports activities like softball or baseball might. And ladies’s golf and girls’s tennis have some key gamers from final yr who’re instantly now eligible (this might change earlier than the spring semester begins, with the NCAA interesting the ruling). As a end result, I do not see this ruling deeply impacting Nevada exterior of probably the diamond sports activities.

Yes, the present crop of Northern Nevada highschool ladies basketball gamers is without doubt one of the most talent-rich within the space’s historical past. The listing contains Brookesly Wilson, Charlotte Olson, Gabby Hall, Mia Hall, Josie Williamson and Ani Carpenter (all however Wilson attend Bishop Manogue). Aaliyah Vance, the reigning Northern 4A participant of the yr, is also a next-level participant. All however Vance play for Gabby Williams Elite, which has gained back-to-back AAU nationwide titles. I’d evaluate this group to the 2013-16 wave that included Gabby Williams (Reed High/UConn), Mallory McGwire (Reno High/Oregon/Boise State); Morgan McGwire (Reno High/Santa Clara); Shalen Shaw (Reno High/Boise State); Breezi Holt (Bishop Manogue/Cal Poly); Gigi Hascheff (Reno High/Sacramento State/Long Beach State); Kelly Lujan (Bishop Manogue/Air Force); and Sarita Jo Condie (Pershing County/Navy). There is a number of proficient effervescent up. We’ll see if the Wolf Pack can hold any of those gamers house.

Those odds have actually elevated thought of San Diego State has gained 5 straight Mountain West ladies’s swim and dive championships and 7 of the final eight. Fresno State, which not too long ago has been robust, can even be part of SDSU within the Pac-12. That leaves Nevada and UNLV as the highest remaining MW faculties in swim and dive with Hawaii becoming a member of the MW in that sport and in addition being robust. I’d favor UNLV at this stage because the Rebels have gained topped the Wolf Pack in 4 straight MW swim and dive championships. But Nevada ought to be a top-three group in swim and dive. So, I’ll put the percentages of a title this yr round 25 %.

There are at the least 4 recognized teams eyeing an enlargement group in Las Vegas with the group headlined by Vegas Golden Knights proprietor Bill Foley. The enlargement price is projected between $7 billion and $10 billion, which may very well be achievable given the variety of events. Add an enlargement group from Seattle and each NBA proprietor might get greater than $500 million from a two-team enlargement, which is loopy.

Well, bodily media guides (at the least at Nevada) are lengthy gone. They have not printed these for the previous few years and have not even assembled them as on-line guides the final couple of seasons. I’ve each Nevada soccer media information again to 1973 and each Wolf Pack males’s basketball media information again to 1976 in my workplace. Those are nice sources. As for the precise media days, they’re as invaluable as you make them. We despatched Shannon Kelly to the Mountain West soccer media days to get interviews with all 10 groups and can flip that into an hour-long MW soccer preview present later this month. We additionally obtained a number of nice stuff that has been launched on social media during the last two weeks from the Vegas occasion. And we obtained Nevada to reestablish an area media day, which it is going to maintain Tuesday. That’s the primary full media day for Nevada soccer in at the least 5 years. We’re organising our cellular desk exterior Mackay Stadium on Tuesday for a particular NSN Tonight that may air Wednesday. We’ll additionally get 5 – 6 Wolf Pack All Access sit-down interviews from media day. So, we’re working to make these media days worthwhile.

The state already has a Nevada Wolf Pack license plate option. I doubt it provides one other.

Colorado would owe Deion Sanders $26.6 million if fired earlier than Dec. 31, so he is fairly safe given that big quantity.

Guggenheim Baseball Management purchased the Dodgers for a file $2 billion in 2012 and is now valued at $7.8 billion, in response to Forbes’ March 2026 valuation. So, the Dodgers’ worth has elevated fairly a bit.

No. The Tarik Skubal commerce had zero influence on whether or not there is a lockout (there 100% can be a lockout) or whether or not there are misplaced video games within the 2027 season (there will not be any).

As famous above, there’s a 100% probability of a lockout this December. It’s all a part of the negotiations the house owners are planning like they did when locking out the gamers in 2021 earlier than the Dodgers turned a superpower.

Yes. I’d fee the Orioles as MLB’s most disappointing franchise of the final half-decade together with the Mets. But at the least the Mets made the 2024 NLCS. You might additionally make the case for the Giants, Padres and Mariners for MLB’s most disappointing franchise of the final half-decade. But the Orioles are a straightforward No. 1. Baltimore was God terrible from 2017-21, averaging 105 losses per full season throughout that interval, to load up on high draft picks. And whereas it hit on a few of these picks, it by no means (a) put collectively a wholesome, profitable, sustainable younger corps; (b) signed any of these younger gamers to long-term offers; and (c) supplemented the hitting group by getting professional pitching to match. The end result? One glorious season in 2023 when Baltimore went 101-61, however with zero playoff wins throughout that interval. In truth, Baltimore’s final playoff win got here in 2014. And now that younger Orioles corps is being dismantled with the Adley Rutschman commerce to Boston, which leaves solely Gunnar Henderson (who’s hitting .219 this season) as a high-level younger constructing block. And he solely has two seasons left earlier than changing into a free agent. How does Mike Elias nonetheless have a job?

I’d give it an 8 out of 10 (or 80 out of 100, utilizing your metric). It’s an excellent film. It’s visually beautiful. The cinematography is superb. The appearing is usually robust (Anne Hathaway may win an Oscar). The script is OK. And the pacing is ok, though a bit gradual within the center. It’s an excellent film. The script might have been higher. I’m a giant Odyssey fan, and Odysseus’ story is fascinating as a result of it is a push and pull of a number of motivations concurrently. Those motivations embody legacy, lust, survival, pleasure, homesickness, loyalty and restoring order. The Odyssey does not efficiently hit on the entire inside struggles and driving forces behind Odysseus’ journey again to Ithaca. It’s principally simply homesickness and remorse for the Trojan horse ploy. That’s the place the film fell a bit brief for me. The Athena and Calypso characters additionally fell brief. Calypso, performed by Charlize Theron, is basically a therapist on this film, which she will not be how she is portrayed in Homer’s poem. I additionally am shocked Christopher Nolan labored a intercourse scene into Oppenheimer however did not have one within the The Odyssey. That’s insane given the lust theme within the poem. Still, it is a good film value a watch. But I’ll admit I choose Troy to The Odyssey. Hard to beat Brad Pitt as Achilles.

After watching The Odyssey final weekend, the plan is to observe Spider-Man: Brand New Day this weekend. I’m largely out on Marvel, which hasn’t put out a fantastic film since Avengers: Endgame in 2019. But The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Thunderbolts* have been enhancements over current choices, so I’ll give Brand New Day a shot.

See y’all subsequent week!

Sports columnist Chris Murray gives perception on Northern Nevada sports activities. He writes a weekly Monday Mailbag regardless of it giving him a headache and it taking a number of hours to write down. But individuals appear to love it, so he does it anyway. Contact him at crmurray@sbgtv.com or comply with him on Twitter @ByChrisMurray.